The Philosophy

Medium sized (2,000) private liberal arts college in a large city

The Classes

17 average class size
10:1 student to faculty ratio

The Path

ED Nov 15, notified Dec 15
ED II Jan 1, notified Feb 1
RD Jan 15, notified April 30
Financial Aid Priority Jan 15
Financial Aid March 1, notified April 1

Common majors: Economics, Chemistry, Political Science, International Studies
41 undergraduate degrees, 36 majors

The People

18-20% students in varsity sports
70-75% study away
45% students of color
22% faculty of color
58% female faculty

The Aid

Meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted students

A small school that punches well above its weight, Macalester offers an internationalist and multiculturalist view of the world with a pronounced Scottish flavor. One of only a handful of leading liberal arts colleges in a metropolitan setting. Carleton has a somewhat bigger national reputation, but Mac has St. Paul, a progressive capital city. Eighty-one percent of the student body hails from outside Minnesota.

Founded in 1874, Macalester College is an international island in the heart of the Great Plains. Liberal describes both its curriculum and its politics. Students here get riled up over all sorts of issues with local, national, or international import-from LGBTQ rights and immigration policy to divestment from fossil fuels. Mac students come to the school “deeply caring about a social justice issue,” says one student, “and throughout their years at Mac, their passions expand and deepen.” Bagpipes are heard frequently on campus, opening formal events and leading all major processions as a stirring reminder of the college’s historic Scottish roots. Says one senior, “Bagpipes are like the Macalester anthem.”

Macalester takes its name from a Scotsman named Charles Macalester, an advisor to Abraham Lincoln and other U.S. presidents. The college is located in a friendly, family-oriented neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota, one mile from the Mississippi River, which divides St. Paul from Minneapolis. Summit Avenue, a tree-lined street with the longest, best-preserved stretch of Victorian homes in the nation, forms the campus’s northern boundary. The self-contained, 53-acre campus is arranged around 134-year-old Old Main, a splendid Victorian structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The unifying theme is red brick, the better to set off the octagonal Weyerhauser Chapel, constructed of black glass. The latest addition to campus is a $32 million theater and dance building.

Mac’s general education requirements span the liberal arts and sciences and include at least two courses that address cultural diversity, in the United States and internationally. Every student also completes a seminar-style First-Year Course and, in their senior year, a capstone experience, such as an independent research project, performance, artistic work, or other original work. In addition to international studies, Mac’s academic strengths include geography, economics, math and statistics, computer science, and media and cultural studies. Eleven foreign languages are offered, including Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian. The most popular majors are economics, political science, computer science, and mathematics. Science facilities include an observatory and labs for electronic instrumentation and laser spectroscopy.

A sophomore says, “We take our studies seriously and, as a result, conversations continue outside of the classroom because that’s how much of an impact they’ve had on us.” Mac emphasizes small class sizes, working together to handle the challenging workload, and interdisciplinarity. “Students and professors can work across academic disciplines to publish papers and pursue projects,” explains a history and English double major. Teaching and personal relationships are paramount, with professors often having students over for dinner or dishing off passes on the intramural basketball court.

The late Kofi Annan, former UN secretary general and class of ’61, typified one of Macalester’s hallmarks: internationalism, not just in its curriculum and its student body, but also in its emphasis on international, off-campus experiences. An impressive 60 percent of students go abroad to complete traditional coursework, independent research, and internships, choosing from 95 exchange and partner programs on six continents. Fifty-four percent conduct undergraduate research, often in stipend-supported positions with Mac professors during the summer. Before graduation, more than three-quarters of the students complete an internship, usually in the Twin Cities area, and almost all students get involved in volunteer work.

An economics major says Mac students tend to fall “somewhere between the quirky intellectual and the globe-trotting activist,” adding, “We love discussing political and social issues-sometimes to a fault.” Nineteen percent of Macalester students hail from Minnesota, and the rest come from every state, the District of Columbia, and nearly 100 other countries-the proportion of international students is substantial, at 15 percent. Four percent of students are African American, 9 percent are Hispanic, 8 percent are Asian American, and 7 percent are multiracial. Merit scholarships averaging $15,200 are available to eligible students; there are no athletic scholarships. Macalester guarantees to meet 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of all admitted students, including international students.

Freshmen and sophomores are required to live in college housing; 62 percent of all students dwell in college-owned digs, which include traditional residences with single or double rooms as well as suites for upperclassmen. “Some of the first-year halls are a bit old, but they have so much character and community that it doesn’t matter!” enthuses a geography major. Junior and senior residents of the Interfaith House and the Veggie Co-op prepare their own meals, while other students enjoy vittles in the campus center. “It’s really easy to hate on Café Mac, the one dining hall here,” says a junior, “but honestly the food here is much better than people give it credit for.” Students praise campus security and the college’s proactive approach to sexual assault awareness. “We are constantly holding dialogues, having discussions, bringing in outside speakers, and addressing policy about this growing issue,” reports a junior.

Given the proximity of a major metropolitan area, much of Mac’s social life takes place in the city, although there are plenty of student-organized events on campus for those loath to leave. “There is no Greek life at Macalester, but during the weekend there can be quite a large party culture on campus,” notes a freshman. Popular annual events include Founders Day, Winter Ball, Springfest, and the Brain Bowl football game against in-state rival Carleton. There are about a dozen other colleges and universities in town, and the Twin Cities are an excellent place to live, with plenty of bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and movie theaters, plus dance and jazz clubs and professional sports teams. Public transportation makes it relatively easy to get around. The Mall of America is nearby, though Mac students tend to tire of it quickly. For those with wheels, the best road trips include Chicago, Madison, and Duluth-and Bemidji, Minnesota, “to see Babe the Blue Ox,” according to a senior.

Competitive Division III Scots teams include baseball and women’s water polo (both recent conference champions), along with football and men’s and women’s soccer, cross-country, and track and field. Macalester has one of the oldest competitive debate programs in the nation, and the mock trial program is highly ranked nationally. About 60 percent of the students compete in intramural and club sports, including dodgeball, rugby, and ice hockey. “Whenever the weather’s nice, students dot the lawns playing Frisbee, soccer, or cricket-yes, cricket!” says one student.

Macalester pairs high-powered scholarship with global perspectives informed by its distinctly Scottish heritage. The skill and diversity of the student body are rising. Students here appreciate their freedom to grow within a supportive community. “We are all encouraged to explore ourselves, and we are all encouraged to find our passions and commit to them,” says one student. “It is what binds us all.”

-Fiske Guide